If portability and battery life are essential for you, the Dell XPS 13 is lighter and offers longer battery life, which might be appreciated if you're frequently on the move or away from power outlets. On the other hand, if you prefer a larger screen for multitasking or enjoy media with higher quality visuals, the Acer Swift Edge 16 has a bigger OLED display, which will provide more vibrant colors and deeper blacks. The Swift also has better performance for graphics-intensive tasks like photo editing or casual gaming thanks to its AMD Radeon GPU. However, keep in mind the Acer has a slightly shorter battery life and is a bit heavier, which could affect its portability compared to the Dell. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift Edge 16
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.2/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Dell XPS 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is superior for gaming and 3D tasks due to its AMD Radeon 780M graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, which offer smoother visuals and better handling of graphics-intensive applications compared to the Dell XPS 13, which has an Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower refresh rate of 60 Hz, providing less fluidity in motion and gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
7.2/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.8/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.4in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift Edge 16's screen stands out in general use and engineering due to its high resolution and brightness, ensuring sharp text and vivid images, while its wide color gamut provides the accuracy needed for professional design work. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13, with slightly lower but still good screen specifications, delivers a solid experience for general activities and design tasks but doesn't outshine the Acer in these respects. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications because they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and a responsive graphical experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Dell XPS 13 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a larger, high-quality OLED screen with good CPU and graphics performance, ample RAM and storage, making it suitable for general use, but with a trade-off in slightly less portability and shorter battery life. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 delivers a smaller, sharp IPS display, exceptional portability with longer battery life, and a good keyboard, making it also a strong contender for everyday tasks, despite its comparatively smaller storage capacity.
Content Creation
8.1/10
7.7/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift Edge 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.5/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Dell XPS 13 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 to have excellent portability, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$820
$850
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Dell XPS 13 costs $850.
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How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Dell XPS 13 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Edge 16 or the Dell XPS 13
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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